Through eyewitness accounts in his letters, we can follow John Lapham Bullis’s Civil War experiences as a young recruit who quickly became a seasoned soldier. He was the latter when he wrote from Annapolis, Maryland on July 2, 1864:
“Waiting transp. to Army Potomac. Year ago at Gettysburg, warm, and we were taking a doublequick for a Barn that was changing hands often on that memorable time.”
Three months later, September 19, 1864, he wrote “on the Ohio River Steamboat Grey Eagle on Ohio bound for Louisville. Soldiers have Measles.”
His November 20, 1864 letter came from “Hqs. Co. A. 118th Inf. near Richmond, Va,” and he relayed that he had come from Kentucky and had now been in about 14 states.
From Macedon to Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg and Libby Prison. Then on to Annapolis, Philadelphia, Louisville, Richmond, crossing “about 14 states” within two years. How much more he could have told us of those times. However, we are grateful for this limited glimpse into a Civil War soldier's personal observations and thoughts.
Next week we'll post excerpts from his last two Civil War letters that are in our archives.
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